William aemsteong



W. ARMSTRONG. Hand SignagLLantern.

No. 224.065. Patented Feb. 3, 1880.

MPEI'ERB. PHOTmLITHOGHAFHER.YwASHlNm'oN. D c.

- -Wl-l-NEEEEE.- Hmm/ENTER? UrnrnoY STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FITZ AND JOHN FARRIN,

OF SAME PLACE, ONEIHIRD TO bEACH.

HAND SIGNAL- LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,065, dated February 3, 1880 Application tiled October 10, 1879.

To all 'whom it may concern: y

Beit known that I, WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, of Martinsburg, in the county ot' Berkeley and State ot' West Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Hand Signal-Lanterns, ot which the following is a specification; and I do hereby declare that in the samcis contained a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the accompanying to the letters ot` reference marked thereon.`

' This invention `relates to a hand-lantern in which a colored-glass plate is attached thereto, through which a colored light may be displayed as a signal on railroads or shipping, or for other uses. y

The said invention consists, first, in combining with the burner a frame-work of par tcular construction and a detachable coloredglass plate tting therein; and, secondly, in combining with the burner, frame, and detachable glass plate a wick-tube extended to nearthe bottom ofthe lantern, to prevent extinguishment ot' the ame in swinging the lantern, asis practiced in the act of signaling.

In the drawings forming a part hereof, Figures I and II represent a part of a lamp enibodying my improvements as seen from different points of view. Fig. III illustrates a moditied form of the invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar y parts in both views.

In Figs. I and II the burner A is provided with a bracket, a, inserted ina slot ct in the burner, and bent over, as shown. The outer end of the bracket is riveted to a signal-sup port, b, having sides b', bent V-sha-ped to receive `the colored-glass signal-plate c. The sides b' are bent somewhat inward from avertical line in order to exert a slight pressure upon the edges of the glass and hold it in p0- sition. 'Ihe glass is readily removed from the support b.

It will be observed that the burner shown in Figs. I and II is of that construction in which the Wick is raised within the wick-tube B by means ot" a feed-wheel.

In Fg.III is shown a wellknown form of drawings, and

burner, in which the wick is raised by the use oi a pointed tool inserted through slots cut in 5o the wick-tube. In adapting my invention `to this class of burners I provide aV disk, d, slotted at e-to tit over the upper part of the wicktube, to which disk is riveted the bracket al, carrying the signalfsupport b, as before described. I

The colored glass is sufficiently far removed from the flame to be untouched by it, but will permit a colored light to be distinctly shown when desired. 6o

Glass plates of different colors may accompany each lantern, to be used in different kinds of signaling.

he wick-tube B in all cases extends to near the bottom of the illuminating-huid, or

to a point so near to the bottom of the oilchamber of the lamp as to give sutticient space only for the wick to extend from the tube. By this means the oil in contact with the wick is not agitated in swinging the lamp in 7o the act of signaling, as will be readily understood.

Such aconstruction is necessary, more particularly by reason. of the close proximity of the tlame to the glass plate, as any tlickerin g of the iame would smoke the glass and render ituntit for signaling purposes.

I am aware that in signal-lamps in which the glass plates are outside of the body of the lantern and wholly removed from danger 8o of becoming smoked by the flame the wicktube has been carried down to near the bottom of the oil-reservoir, and such a Wick-tube, therefore, I do not claim, except in combination with other features entering into my invention.

I am aware, further, that heretofore a signal-plate held in a frame has been applied to a signal-lamp burner, the frame being remova-V ble. This differs from my invention in that 9o in my lamp the frame is stationary, or secured to the burner, and the glass or glasses are slipped into the frame, being thereby changed as required, one frame answeringfor the glasses of various colors, which simplities the device. 9 5

I therefore do not wish to claim a lamp having aglass signal-plate rigidlyheld in aframe, I extended downward, as described, combined o1 the latter being made removable from the with the bracket a, signal-support b b', and

burner; but, detachable glass plate @substantially as set Havingdesoribed my improvements, I elai 1n forth. 5 as my inventionl. In combination with the burnerA, bracket WILLIAM ARMSTRONG' a, and signal-support b b, the detachable glass Witnesses: plate c, substantially as speoied. ARCHIBALD ODEN,

2. The burner A, having the Wioktube B, STEWART GAGE. 

